Wild and Wild is an award-winning plant based coffeehouse and kitchen serving up some impressive vegan dishes in the most relaxing atmosphere.
The café was founded by husband and wife duo Chris and April Wild in 2018, and has become a real community hub in Congleton, Cheshire.
A few weeks ago, on a rainy Saturday, Jake and I popped in for a takeaway tea and a loaded croissant – who doesn’t want their breakfast pastry dripping in pink icing and edible flowers?
I vowed to return and dip into their main menu – and have done so twice since my initial visit.
Chris and April’s mission at Wild and Wild is to ‘create a space for immersive wellness, leading with taste and a main focus on health’.
As soon as you step into the coffee shop, there’s a real sense of calm – even on a busy weekend. Inside, boho tables are socially distanced and chairs are adorned with white furry throws. A huge olive and pink wall mural provides the perfect Instagram backdrop. I’ve already decided my favourite seat is one by the mural, on a padded bench in the corner, surrounded by pink scatter cushions. It’s the ideal spot for a cuppa whilst reading a book.
I ordered a cup of English Breakfast Tea – loose leaf served in an incredibly deceptive teapot. This pot holds around four cups of tea, and each time I’m surprised at where all of this tea is coming from! I also went for a Beartown Brewery Peach Melbear – a peach and elderflower beer brewed locally in Congleton.
The Wild and Wild Mac and Cheeze is served with their own recipe cheese sauce, with macaroni and a panko. The cheeze is super creamy and it was such a flavoursome dish, with the panko adding crunch. I couldn’t get enough of this, and I’m certain it will be my go-to order in the future. For £8, it’s great value for money and super filling!
Wild and Wild are taking part in the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme throughout August, where you can get 50% off your food and non-alcoholic drinks up to the value of £10.
Anya and I returned to Wild and Wild for the second time in a month. Many businesses in Congleton are participating in late-nights on Thursdays to support the high street. Wild and Wild have been closing at 8pm, so it’s ideal for when I finish work at 5pm!
Since it was warm, we chose to sit in the outside courtyard. It feels very cute and cosy, with a canopy of trees over the transparent ceiling, and the golden glow of hanging bulb buntin. It’s like a real secret garden!
There’s even a stunning brick pizza oven ready to serve crispy stone-baked vegan pizza in the coming months.
This time, I ordered the Oreo Mylkshake made with oat milk. I’ve started to have oat milk when ordering in cafes anyway, and sometimes buy it in at home. It’s one of the creamier milk alternatives with barely any difference in taste – and the one I prefer over soy or coconut. The chocolate of the oreo overpowers any differing flavour of the mylk anyway, so you’d never notice a difference.
To eat, we both went for the loaded cheezeburger. The dish features a plant-based patty, lettuce, tomato, onion, homemade burger sauce, battered tempeh, extra cheeze and BBQ sauce. On the side, it comes with skin-on fries and slaw.
So, what’s tempeh, you ask? Tempeh is a soy based product made of fermented soy beans. It’s a bit like tofu – only nicer. It tends to absorb the flavour of the ingredients it’s cooked with – and it was my favourite part of the burger.
The BBQ sauce and vegan cheeze added incredible flavour to the burger. You really had to get a bit of everything on your fork to enjoy the combination of carefully and consciously selected ingredients.
Wild and Wild strive to support other local independents by sourcing local ingredients like fruit and veg.
The burger was so incredibly filling, I had to box half of it up to bring home. My dad – a dedicated meat eater – tried the patty and tempeh, and said he’d never be able to tell the difference and really enjoyed his taste of the vegan dish.
We also tried the cauliflower popcorn side, which featured cauliflower florets in batter with a sweet chilli sauce. The batter was super crispy and made a satisfying snap and crunch when you bit into it.
Absolutely stuffed, we headed back inside to my favourite table to have a cup of tea. Before we knew it, we’d been sat in Wild and Wild for two and a half hours. It’s very easy to lose track of time as you sip your tea and watch the world go by.
Before leaving, make sure to check out the eco-friendly and sustainable homewear and lifestyle items available to purchase. If you’ve been thinking about getting a keepcup, now is the perfect time. Or maybe you really need a zen candle? Wild and Wild have got you covered! Alternatively, I definitely recommend getting a sweet treat to go from the counter!
